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Oct 31, 2015

Oh my goodness! It's the end of October already and the close of another Create28. Friends, I'm so glad you took this journey with us. Style is always better with friends. I consider myself doubly blessed that you are here {my readers} and that I have lovely co-hosts {Whitney} and {Casey}. I know I have enjoyed your looks on Instagram each day. Thank you for showing us your style!
To be very honest, my month has been jammed packed with so many things that I have struggled with putting together looks. For most of the month it did not feel like fall, which made it hard to get into the groove of fall looks. I've also been at war with my closet. What I mean by that statement is I have been having difficulty liking my pieces and finding I don't love very many. The ones I love I save for something "special". In the midst of that craziness I enlisted the help of my hubster. He gave me some incredible input which helped me to choose looks which I love from Create28 and really define me. {More on this conversation and such in an upcoming posts. Please stay tuned!} So these are our favorite looks.

It's odd that most of my faves were skirts and dresses. I rarely have the opportunity to wear them because my workplace is very casual and mostly denim is what is appropriate on a daily basis. Maybe that's what made Create28 fun for me...creating looks that I don't always get to wear on a regular basis.
Of course, I have a fave of Whitney's! Love her plaid look so so much. Mixed with the stripes makes it even better! She's such a cutie!

My fave from Casey was her long cardigan. Every element of this look just works together so well. It's just cozy, comfy and oh so perfect for fall and winter.

That's our wrap on Create28 Fall Looks. We loved it and loved having y'all with us on this journey. We'll be putting another one together after the holidays. Please join us again and join in!

Oct 30, 2015

It never fails. October goes by SO QUICKLY...then all of a sudden it's Thanksgiving...then Christmas...then boom..2015 will be history! This October flew by and I had so much fun with my blogging besties Carrie and Whitney showing some fun fall outfits.

Today I'll be recapping a few of my faves and my favorites from Carrie and Whitney as well!!

Carrie: I LOVED how Carrie mixed different tones of purple/marsala to to create this awesome combo!! The little ankle boots added the perfect amount of "fall" to this outfit! LOVE IT! Read her original post HERE.

Whitney: I have always envied the shirt-layered-under-dress look and so far it hasn't worked on me! But man, does it work on Whitney!!! I LOVE her combo of stripes and chambray too! What's not to love? Read her original post HERE.

Well, that is a WRAP for Create28 Fall Looks!!! We have truly enjoyed seeing all of your looks on social media!! Thank you so much for joining us!! Carrie will be recapping her looks tomorrow.

We are already scheming up our next project so stay tuned! The next fun thing will be the Winter Challenge--registration opens 11/20 and get ready!!! I LOVED LOVED the winter challenge last year!!

She gave me some creative prompts, including "a total steal/find (my ballet flats were a mere $9, an acquisition during Payless’ BOGO)." Challenge accepted! This purple graphic tee was a measly $2.78 from Old Navy (on clearance, plus an extra 30% off coupon). I also passed on skinnies, because I <3 them. ;)

Next week, Whitney will pass on one of the elements of my outfit: purple, a graphic tee, skinnies, dark wash denim, roses, ballet wedges, and Buffalo check.

Oct 29, 2015

I'm beginning to feel like a broken record at the end of each of the Create28 challenges that I've done, but wow, time really flew this time!

I have to admit that our Fall Challenge was a bit of a struggle for me, mostly because of my hectic school schedule. Our last challenge fell during my summer break when I had plenty of time to devote to outfit creation, photo shoots and post writing. The excitements and stresses of being in the first couple of months of a new job, however, made these tasks more difficult.

In a low moment a few weeks ago, my mom asked me if I would be willing to give up blogging in order to lighten my load a bit. My immediate gut reaction was "no." Regardless of how stressed I feel, this blog is one of the only things that I do for me. As a teacher, I spend most of my waking hours giving and creating for others. I really need this space because it gives me a reason to check in with myself every once in awhile and to do some thing that I truly enjoy!

So thank you for stopping by my little oasis! I hope that you've had as much fun with Create28 as I have. What were your favorite prompts this time around? These were my personal favorite looks:

Looking at these pictures together, I'm a bit surprised. If you've spent any time around these parts, you may have noticed that I adore skirts and dresses...but I'm wearing pants in all of these looks. Weird! I think this might be because I've changed my eating habits in the last couple of months and am feeling better about myself and how I look in my pants. The other common thread amongst these photos is a somewhat drapey top. I guess skinny jeans + comfy top = my fall uniform!

I definitely wouldn't have made it through this month without my beautiful friends and cohosts, Carrie and Casey! Carrie has the put-together office look absolutely down and Carey is the epitome of California cool. These were my favorite looks of theirs:

Oct 28, 2015

Ummm, correct me if I'm wrong but aside from pumpkin spice lattes and beautiful landscapes, isn't the best thing about fall the ability to layer clothing? When the temperatures begin to drop, it's time to create some outfit interest with layers. There are so many possibilities and I love it because it feels oh so creative to me.
If you have a classic style or have ever thought about investing in some basic pieces then today's looks might be a happy place for you. When I put these outfits together I knew it was a total "me" look.

I tend to wear only two layers, which mainly consists of a top and a completer pieces. Many times the completer piece is a cardigan {love me some cardigans}! Here I added a vest on top of the blouse and cardigan. I would wear this into work in the morning and remove the vest and possibly the sweater if it's a day when the temps creep up a little bit.

These are all pieces from my closet that I love. Favorite skinny jeans {from The Limited which has great fitting pants}, a classic gingham blouse, a classic navy cardigan, a military green vest, a leopard print belt and menswear shoes. These pieces will take you lots of places if you're a remixer or capsule type of gal.

Removing the vest and looks becomes more refined and a little less bulky.

A great bag with a little color interest never hurts a classic look either.

Do you have a style or a look that defines you? Maybe several looks that define you? This is one of those looks for me.

Tomorrow begins our recaps of Create28 Fall Looks. Whitney is up first and will be showing us what's she created this month from her closet. Can't wait to see her post!

Oct 27, 2015

I rarely come in contact with a vest I don't like...cargo/military, puffer, denim, herringbone, fur you name it! I love vests! They are such a nice, functional layer to your Fall outfit. Here I'll show you my top FOUR favorite vests for fall...and one on my wish list!!!

Vest #1: Herringbone ~ This vest is an oldie but goodie. It's a "look for less" vest I picked up from Jane.come, a knockoff of the original J. Crew herringbone vest.

Vest #2: The Puffer ~ I love puffer vests on days I just don't want to wear a full-on jacket or coay but need the extra warmth and layer. This down one from Eddie Bauer has been in my closet for YEARS and I wear in constantly on the weekends, to soccer games and other causal outings.

Vest #4: Faux Fur ~ Yes, it's a trendy item (see yesterday's post HERE), but since I was able to get this vest for a steal, I latched on to the trend :) Fur vests, if you find the right one, are just a little trendy update that your wardrobe might need for Fall!

The Fur vest works well with ~
~ Plaid and Gingham
~ Jeans
~ Dresses
~ Black Jeans
~ Sunglasses (just kidding..it was literally 90 degrees when I took this pic!)

Are you a vest lover like me? What are your favorite vests for fall???

I can't believe it, but October is coming to a close and we are winding down #Create28 Fall Looks! Join me on Friday as I recap my favorite looks from the month including my faves from Carrie and Whitney!

Oct 26, 2015

I'm doing something a little bit differently around here today. My "pinned it and did it" post will not feature an outfit, as most of my posts do. I would like to say that this is an intentional decision but if I'm being honest, it's due to my hair surviving a torrential downpour during MSU's football game on Saturday and a Sunday spent lesson planning, not washing hair. (Please tell me I'm not the only one that doesn't always wash my hair on Sundays). So around these parts, hair disaster does not equal outfit photos!

I know, I know, Create28: Fall Looksis about creative outfit creation, so I apologize! Please forgive me as I show you a bit of home decoration instead!

When I moved into my new apartment this summer, I knew I wanted to have a desk space. I hadn't ever had one before so I was craving a soothing and organized spot I could sit to blog, lesson plan and grade papers. I wanted a space that was pretty and simple yet functional. To add to the challenge, I live in a small apartment without room for a desk. I decided to try to create a "desk by day, dining by night" room!

This pin provided the perfect inspiration! With all of my desk supplies on a cart, I could easily keep it close to my "desk" and then roll it to the corner of the room when I needed the "table."

I found this fun "pop of color" cart that was exactly what I was looking for! And as an added bonus, I already owned the accessories I used to decorate the cart. Pretty stationary, colorful desk supplies, fun binders and a yummy candle completed the look!

Oct 25, 2015

I think I might have a thing for blush pink Aztec print. But seriously, what could be better than a cute print in my favorite color? ...Especially when it comes in cozy pieces like that scarf and this over-sized cardigan!

Really though, is this called Aztec print, southwestern print (like I called it last year), or something else? In any case, I love it and I had been on the hunt for big, chunky cardigan in this print for over a year. It's one of those pieces that I would see on other girls but just couldn't find the perfect one for my closet. But then I found SheIn with cute, trendy pieces for the right price and this cozy sweater was delivered to my doorstep!

I do want to be honest about my experience with Shein, though. While I love this cardigan, I was a bit disappointed with the company. I ordered three pieces and sent two back because they felt as cheap as they had cost. On top of that, the return process seemed a bit shady and return shipping wasn't free (a luxury that I have become used to). I suppose you get what you pay for!

But let's get back to the outfit details! My first inclination was to wear this cardigan over skinny jeans with a basic tee and flat booties. But since Create28: Fall Looksis about pushing ourselves to be creative, I decided to try the chunky cardigan with a basic dress and all black except for my booties. And I love the way the look turned-out...although I'm already looking forward to that cardigan and skinny jean combination!

You guys, we are almost done with another month of Create28! Can you believe it? I'm loving the looks that you are posting on Instagram (#Create28FallLooks) and I'm looking forward to another Monday link-up tomorrow where Carrie, Casey and I will each be featuring a "Pinned It and Did It" look!

Meet Whitney

Bonjour! My name is Whitney! I'm a thirty-something navigating a career change, wedding planning, and wardrobe remixing on a budget- all while exploring my new hometown in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Join me as I make my thirties my best decade yet!